Outlook login scenario reusing\new profile

Question

Hi Team,

My Outlook login is @abc.com, and if we check in the Control Panel, the default profile is created for this user (@abc.com). I've signed out of Outlook. In the current scenario, after the machine is migrated, I will log in with the same username but with a different domain (******@xyz.com). Can we use the previous Outlook profile to log in with the new user? If we can, please provide a solution. If there's another possibility, let me know. Else we create a new profile for the user, in this scenario, I want user not to have to manually enter profile name; instead automatically create the profile and connect.

Answer 1

Hi @Prabhjot Singh

Welcome to our forum!

When you change the domain for your Outlook login, the previous profile associated with the old domain (@abc.com) won't directly work with the new domain (@xyz.com). However, you could create a new profile and import the Outlook data file of the previous profile into your current profile. More information:

• Export emails, contacts, and calendar items to Outlook using a .pst file - Microsoft Support 
• Import email, contacts, and calendar from an Outlook .pst file - Microsoft Support 

I want user not to have to manually enter profile name; instead automatically create the profile and connect.

To automatically create an Outlook profile and connect without requiring the user to manually enter the profile name, you can use a combination of a .PRF file and a script to automate the process. Please kindly understand that the Outlook tag here we mainly focus on general issues about Outlook desktop client, the following content is for informational purposes only:

1. Create a .PRF File:
   • A .PRF file is a profile settings file that Outlook can use to create a new profile. You can create this file using the Office Customization Tool (OCT) or by manually editing a sample .PRF file.
   • The .PRF file should include all necessary settings such as the user's email address, server settings, and other profile configurations.
2. Deploy the .PRF File:
   • You can deploy the .PRF file using a script or Group Policy. The script can be run at user login to automatically create the Outlook profile.
   • Here is an example of a script that you can use to deploy the .PRF file:

          
          @echo off
          setlocal
          set PRF_PATH=C:\Path\To\Your\Profile.prf
          set OUTLOOK_PATH=%ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Office\OfficeXX\Outlook.exe
          if exist "%OUTLOOK_PATH%" (
              "%OUTLOOK_PATH%" /importprf "%PRF_PATH%"
          ) else (
              echo Outlook not found.
          )
          endlocal
     

3. Run the Script: Ensure that the script runs at user login. You can achieve this by adding the script to the user's startup folder or by using Group Policy to run the script at login.
4. Verify the Profile Creation: After the script runs, Outlook should automatically create the profile using the settings specified in the .PRF file and connect to the user's mailbox without requiring manual input.

Hope it helps! 

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